How to Book and Reschedule a US Visa Appointment in Pakistan

The short answer

Submit your DS-160, create your profile on the official appointment service linked from the US Embassy in Pakistan website, pay the visa application (MRV) fee, then choose an interview date at the Embassy in Islamabad or the Consulate General in Karachi. Once booked, you can move to an earlier date if one becomes available.

Most nonimmigrant applicants in Pakistan now need an in-person interview. A smaller group may qualify for an interview waiver, so check that before you assume you need an interview slot.

Before you start

• A valid passport. Keep the same passport details across the DS-160, the profile and the fee payment.
• A recent photo that meets the US visa photo requirements, uploaded with the DS-160.
• Your travel purpose, dates and who is paying, decided before you fill in the form. The officer will compare your answers with the DS-160.
• Details of previous US visas and any refusals, if you have them.

Step by step

1. 1

   Complete and submit the DS-160

   Fill in the online nonimmigrant visa application (DS-160) and submit it. Keep the confirmation page with its barcode number. You need that number to create the appointment.

2. 2

   Create your appointment profile

   Use the official appointment service linked from the US Embassy in Pakistan website. Enter your passport and DS-160 details exactly as they appear on the DS-160.

3. 3

   Pay the visa application (MRV) fee

   Pay through a payment method the appointment service accepts, against your own profile. The embassy says the fee receipt is valid for 365 days from the date it is issued. Paying against the wrong profile is a common cause of delay.

4. 4

   Check whether you qualify for an interview waiver

   Some renewal applicants can apply without an interview. Eligibility depends on your previous visa and when it expired, and the rules have changed more than once. The appointment service asks qualifying questions; answer them accurately.

5. 5

   Choose an interview location and date

   Select Islamabad or Karachi and book the earliest available date that you can actually attend. Wait times change from month to month; the State Department publishes current estimates.

6. 6

   Prepare for the interview

   Bring the appointment confirmation, the DS-160 confirmation page, your passport and the documents that support your purpose, funds and ties to Pakistan. Answers that match your DS-160 matter more than a thick folder.

Rescheduling an appointment

Log in to the same appointment profile and choose a new date from the calendar. Your paid fee stays attached to the profile, so you do not pay again to move the appointment while the receipt is valid.

The appointment service may limit how many times you can reschedule. Read the rules it shows before you move an appointment, and do not give up a confirmed date until the new one is booked.

Getting an earlier date

Earlier dates appear when capacity is added or other applicants cancel. The State Department advises applicants who want an earlier slot to check back regularly and move their appointment if one becomes available.

Book the earliest date on offer first, then check for something sooner. Do not use automated booking scripts or bots: they break the appointment service rules and can get your profile suspended, which can cost you the appointment you already have.

Urgent travel: expedited appointment requests

If you have a genuine emergency, such as urgent medical treatment or the death or serious illness of a close family member, you can ask for an expedited appointment after booking the first available date. The embassy decides each request on the evidence.

A request without documents is usually refused. A wedding, a holiday or a business trip planned at short notice is generally not treated as an emergency.

Monitoring vs an expedite request

Checking for an earlier date (monitoring) is open to anyone with a booked appointment and needs no approval: you move when a slot is released. An expedite request is a formal application the embassy decides, only for documented emergencies. Many applicants who think they need an expedite request only need to keep checking for earlier dates. Neither is guaranteed.

Common mistakes that cause delays

• Creating the appointment before the DS-160 is submitted.
• Paying the fee against the wrong profile, or a profile with mistyped passport details.
• Creating a second profile instead of logging back in to the first.
• Cancelling a confirmed date before a new one is secured.
• Paying anyone who promises a guaranteed date. No one outside the embassy controls the calendar.

Official sources

Appointment rules, fees and wait times change. Check these official pages before you book. Where they differ from this guide, the official page is right.

• Nonimmigrant visas in Pakistan — U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Pakistan: how to apply and schedule.
• Important visa information — U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Pakistan, including interview requirements.
• DS-160 frequently asked questions — U.S. Department of State.
• Global visa wait times — U.S. Department of State, updated monthly.

Related services

• US visa appointment support — correct set-up, then checking for an earlier interview date.
• USA B1/B2 visit visa support — DS-160, interview booking and document review.